The Prince and The Pauper
by orchidxstar
Summary: Inuyasha and Miroku are adopted brothers and princes both in line for the throne. In order to determine who shall be King, each must undergo a task of convincing an assigned woman to marry them. Sounds easy right? Not when it's Kagome and Sango.IxK MxS
1. Prologue Part 1

The Prince and The Pauper

Third Inuyasha story! This ones an AU and because so I figure I'll provide a little background info beforehand.

Rating: T

Pairings: InuyashaxKagom, MirokuxSango

**Summary**: Inuyasha and Miroku are both princes. Inuyasha is the real son of King Inutaishou. Miroku was adopted by the King at a young age, but the King treats him no differently than his own son. Therefore, now that the time has come, both have an equal opportunity to become King of the throne. In order to stay fair, The King has decided that to determine who will be best for the throne, both must complete the task of getting the assigined woman to love them and agree to marrying them. Sounds easy enough right? Well each type of woman is designed to bring out each prince's weakness. In the end the one who can overcome and see past their flaws by getting their assigned girl to love them will be the one worthy for the throne.

**Setting**: Instead of Feudal Japan think more Europe. Im not a big history buff so things wont be exact its just the kind of atmosphere.

**Characters**:

Inuyasha: Son of King Inutaishou and Queen Izayoi. His father is of pure royal blood and his mother was a commoner before she married the King. As of now he is considered a prince. Inuyasha can be extemly stubborn and because of his tragic past he can be apathetic at times, but he truly has a good soul that only few have seen.

Sesshomaru: Eldest Son of King Inutaishou and his first wife before Izayoi. Was banished from the kingom at 18 and commited an indelible crime, but his extreme thirst for power seems to have diminished. He was a prince but his title was stripped when he was banished. He now roams the land in desire for strength but still holds a grudge against his younger brother Inuyasha.

Miroku: Adopted son of King Inutaishou. Even though he was adoptedm Inutaishou still considers Miroku his own son and a prince of the kingdom. He does not treat him any differently than his real son. Ironically, Miroku starts off as a peasant, but soon he is only interested in women of pure royal blood and insists on never settling for anything but the best. This becomes a problem when his challenge to becoming king results in him having to chose a commoner to be his wife.

Kagome: Kagome is a princess of a different Kingdom. Inuyasha now must learn to get along with her and make her truly want to marry him if he wants to be the one to recieve the throne. Kagome is kind hearted and patient, but she has never met anyone as difficult as Inuyasha in her life.

Sango: Sango is a peasant whose parents were murdered on the tragic night. She now works in a weapon repair shop with her younger brother Kohaku and works to support him. She only wants the best for her brother and can not stand most royalty, but would do whatever it takes to make sure her brother can live.

pretty much bios for the main characters for now but other characters will make an appearance and play huge or minor parts in the story_ cough*naruku,rin,shippo,koga,ect...you get the picture*COUGH_

So enjoy the story!

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Prologue Part 1.

* * *

It had been an unusually cold summers night. An unceasing breeze swept through the vast halls of the palace, yet the air was dense and humid. A storm was approaching but it was not the only furor the King knew he would deal with that night.

King Inutaishou knew something was peculiar about his eldest son recently.

Sesshomaru had been a cold soul. Incredibly intelligent and clever, but in turn he lacked in essence the empathy one needed to rule over others. The King knew he was a genius, but he was also devious. At the young age of 18 he had already shown a great interest in power and a desire to be in control. Inutaisho knew these were good qualities a prince should have, yet something seemed off. He knew his son craved power too much.

It was hard getting through to him. He had been so quiet lately.

The great King paced the halls trying to figure out what his son was planning, but before he could think anymore, a stern voice called from behind him.

"Father." Inutaishou turned around and there before the King stood his son. Sesshomaru was a tall handsome young man with silver hair and a permanently austere expression. To most the look on his face was the same, indifferent at all times, but the King knew exactly when something was on his mind.

"Sesshomaru, What is it my son?" The King asked.

"I am leaving. I feel as if I cannot fufill what needs to be done by staying here." He replied without moving. _I__s this what has been on his mind?_ The king wondered.

"But my son, do you understand that you are next in line to become King? your acquirement of the throne is imminent, why such a rash desicion?"

His son simply stood there like a statue. "This kingdom is weak. I would be better off starting my own than trying to rebuild this pathetic excuse for a kingdom."

"What do you mean?" The King questioned his sons words. The Kingdom he had ruled over had been one that lived in peace for years.

"Your love for the common people sickens me. I do not wish for myself to be associated with such a filthy place. Instead of worrying about strategies of war, you waste your time making peace with the villagers. We are completly cut off from other kingdoms and now have the reputation of an easy target, which I'm afraid can never be saved, This is why I must leave. I know this may be difficult for you to fathom, but this is what I strongly feel."

"Seshomaru, If you leave now, you will not be welcomed back." King Inutashiou threatened. He knew threatening his son was the only way for him to listen, to possibly reconsider.

"I think I'll take my chances." The tall man said. The King's plan did not work as he had hoped.

"Why are you doing this son? Does the kingdom mean nothing to you?"

"This place has meant nothing to me since the day you betrayed my pure blood mother, married that peasant "Queen" of yours, and fathered _that child_." Seshomaru pointed to a young boy who was hidden in the corner without even looking in his direction. Inutashiou had just realized that his youngest son, Inuyasha, had overheard the whole conversation and was standing in the same room as them.

"That _child_, is your brother, the only other heir to the throne and the next in line if you leave."

Sesshomaru laughed with amusement. "And this is why I could never live here. God forbid something happen to me and he takes over, I could not rest easy knowing my kingdom was now being ruled by a filthy half-breed. I can not even bring myself to look at him."

"That's enough Sesshomaru. If you walk out now you betray not only your family, but your kingdom and leave me no choice but to strip you of your title and banish you from the kingdom."

"So be it. Kingdom? you'll see what kingdom you have left."

"What is that supposed to mean!?" But before Inutaishou could finish, Sesshomaru had already walked out of the room.

Inutaishou did not know exactly what his son meant before he left, but he heard his son's ominous words playing over in his head. He knew nothing good could come of it so he had to be alert. Lost in thought, he forgot for a moment that his youngest son was standing in the corner.

"Inuyasha my son, you must go back to bed." The King said calmly to the young boy.

"But where did brother go?" The small boy with silver hair just like his brother's asked.

"I'm afraid your brother is not returning, but I need you to go with your mother and try to get some sleep."

He stared at his young son, no older than 6, who looked at his father with confusion. He was so innocent, so full of life, but he was afraid to say he lacked the skill and cunning mind his older brother possesed at the same age. He knew that regardless though, this young son of his was a fine candidate for the throne, but he knew he had a long time before he had to worry about such matters.

"Ok father, goodnight." He watched the young boy run down the hall back to his room.

The king sat at his thrown. He knew it was going to be hard, ruling over his kingdom for 10 or more years to come when he thought his time was almost through, but he knew he would do what he must in order to keep the kingdom at peace. His mind was clouded with this predicament that for a moment he had forgotten about his eldest son's dismissal. That is, until it was brought to his attention again.

"Your majesty!" One of the gaurds had run through the entrance. Blood was splattered on the mans face.

"What is it?!"

"It's Sesshomaru..."

"_What_?" The King had a feeling nothing good was to come of this news.

"He has killed half of the gaurds and is now on his way to the town to slaughter the villagers! The rest of us held him off as best as we could be he escaped our grasps! We must act quick or it will be a complete massacre!"

_Why had I not thought of that right away?_ But the king knew there was no time to worry, only time to act.

"Gather the rest of the gaurds immediately and head towards the village! We have no time to waste!" Inutaisho commanded. Just as the gaurds were running out, he saw his young son run in.

"Father! father!" He saw Inuyasha at a distance running into the thrown room.

"Inuyasha not now, I need you to go back to your room and stay there."

"But father!"

"He had seen the young boy running toards him still, streaks of crimson had stained his clothing, hair, and face. Tears were running down his face.

"Inuyasha What happened?! Are you alright?!"

"It's mother,h..he killed mother!" The young boy sobbed.

_No._

Inutaisho was numb from shock. He was in denial. Where the words his son spoke true? They can't be, he thought. He got up and ran towards his room but she was nowhere to be found.

"Inuyasha where is she?!" He yelled to his son that followed him.

"Sh..she was in m..my room!" The king finally arrived to his son's room.

What he saw next would haunt him for the rest of his life.

There was his wife, lying on the floor. Blood had drenched her body from where she had been stabbed. He felt the numbness from shock being replaced by the pain of reality. He rushed over to her to see that she was still breathing faintly.

"Izayoi, My dear queen what has happened to you?" He slipped one arm under her body and lifted her towards him.

"I...It was Sesshomaru...he was going to kill Inuyasha...but I asked him to spare his life in place of mine..." Tears were now falling down her cheeks.

"Shh, my dear dont hurt yourself."

"Please take care of our son." The King nodded for he could not utter a word.

"Mother!" Inuyasha ran in and collapsed onto his mother.

"My son, I love you...you will do great things, I know it.." The queen said with her last breath and drifted off into eternal sleep.

"No! dont go mother!" Inuyasha continued to cry as he held on to his mother.

"Inuyasha..." The kings voice was shaking but he knew he needed to remain as calm as possible for his son's sake, and his own.

"Why did Seshomaru not attack you?" He asked quietly.

"A..After he stabbed mother, h.h..he looked at me and said, to live a lifetime with what you are is a curse and punishment in it's own, therefore I..I shall not kill you."

It killed Inutaisho to leave his dead wife and distressed child behind for the time being, but he knew he had no choice but to go after Sesshomaru.

* * *

Ok so there's the first part of the prolouge...It's kinda long, but the second part will be shorter and then onto the actual story. Let me know what you think! Thanks!


	2. Prologue Part 2

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, your feedback means a lot to me! Second chapter is now up, enjoy!

Prologue Part 2.

* * *

The thunder crashed off in the distance, but the pounding of the King's heart drowned out the advancing roar.

Inutaishou saw the town down below. As he neared the village, he heard the resonance of screams and cries and rode faster.

Once he approached the village entrance, he jumped off his horse and raced into the town. Running deeper into the village, he heard the screams become louder. He followed the sound of glass shattering and turned the corner to hear a cry for mercy.

He tried to make it to the house, but it had been too late. He saw a body hit the floor halfway out the doorway. The King's eldest son stepped over the body and out of the house with his sword dragging behind him. The sword was dripping with blood and the suddenly King became sick to his stomach. He knew that the blood on the sword was not only of the family he just attacked, but that of many others as well.

"Sesshomaru." Sesshomaru noticed his father standing before him and simply stared at him.

"What a pity, you came before I could get through most of the village. No one even fought back, it just proves this kingdom is as useless and weak as I presumed. I guess my work here is done for now." Sesshomaru started to turn in the other direction but his father's words stopped him.

"Sesshomaru, what you have done? I could have you killed for this." The King tried to keep his calm, but a fire was raging inside of him.

"But you wont."

As his eldest son stood before him, Inutaishou knew the words he spoke were true. He could never bring himself to kill his own son.

"See, ever since you left my mother and married that peasant, You've become permissive. The old King and father I grew up with was cold and merciless. He did not spare a life because he felt pity for them, even if it was family. When you and my mother ruled together, you were invincible."

"You're mother was a conniving and decietful woman, and even though it took me a long time to see it, one day I finally realized her methods were not humane."

"What, the day you betrayed her and bedded that whore you now call your Queen? To me it seems like you are in no position to pass judgement. You think by reaching out to these lowly people you can make up for the sins in your past, but the truth is we are royalty. We dictate and govern lives and if there are casualties envolved then so be it. You were damned to Hell the day you received the throne and there is no point of trying to redeem yourself now. This act seems pathetic and useless to me."

Inutaishou stood there paralyzed by his sons words. He could not think of anything to retaliate with.

"But if we are done with this conversation, I shall leave now. I have nothing left to say to you." And with that Sesshomaru walked out the Kingdom gates.

The King could only stand there with his son's words echoing in his head.

Inutaishou examined the scene. Houses broken into, blood splattered on the ground. The thunder was now deafening and the rain broke out. As the storm picked up, the water washed the blood down the cobblestone path towards the King's feet.

S_esshomaru, my son, what have you done? How could I have let this happen?_

The King continued to walk passed the dead bodies lying stiff on the ground. Men, women, even children had been slaughtered all by one man. Shesshomaru did not discriminate amongst his prejudice.

As he continued to walk, he saw movement on the ground coming from a young child. It was a boy lying under the arms of his father, covered in blood. He rushed over to the young boy and carefully removed him from under his deceased father's grasp.

"Boy, are you still alive?" He heard a moan of pain come from the child as he tried to open his eyes. He was alive, but barely.

The boy looked about 7, just around Inuyasha's age. His mind raced back to the image of his own son holding on to the Queen and he felt a sharp pain in his chest. It took him a moment to regain his breath and focus on the dying boy in his arms.

"Are you alright boy?"

Completely disragarding the wounds the boy had received, he shot up and looked around. The King felt the boy's body freeze in his arms once he glanced in his father's direction.

"He, he killed my father. Now _both_ my parents are dead." The boy did not cry but simply stared into the rain with shock and pain. At this time the remaining soldiers were approaching the King.

"Sir, we could not find him in time, he has escaped." One of them reported.

"Yes, I am aware of this. I'd like you to search every house and round up any survivors, If they are children, we shall find them a place to live." The King replied.

"Yes sir, shall we start with this one? One of the gaurds gestured towards the boy Inutaishou was holding up.

"No, not this one, I shall take care of him myself."

"Yes sir." The gaurds took off.

This was the first and only child he had seen in person who had survived. He knew, or at least he prayed there would be others who lived, but he could not just leave this child alone for some reason. The image of this particular boy in his dead father's arms, it reminded him too much of his own son and wife.

"What is your name son?"

The boy snapped out of his daze to look up at the king.

"M..my name is Miroku, your majesty."

"Well Miroku, you are going to live with me now." The young boy did not speak a word, but simply nodded and closed his eyes.

The great King rose from the ground carrying the young boy in his arms. His Kingdom had suffered a terrible tragedy in a matter of only hours. It would take years to recover and heal, but he knew the first way to start was by saving this young boy.

* * *

_**10 years later**_

"Why my lord, we are approaching your home aren't we?" A short, ungainly man asked his master as they walked along a deserted path. He was loyal to the man from the day he met him and would not leave his side.

"This place has not been my home for years Jaken." The tall man said sternly as he continued to walk. He did not even glance back at his servant.

"Oh sorry my lord! My deepest apologies my lord. If I may ask though, I would just like to know, why are we heading there then?" His master never spoke of his previous home and Jaken wondered why he would want to journey back, but he knew that no matter what his master decided it would be of the utmost importance.

"I want nothing to do with my father, or this Kingdom, but in order to truly get revenge, I must fight and kill _that_ half-blood."

"Who would that be lord Sesshomaru?" The short man asked curiously.

"My brother. Inuyasha."

* * *

Hopefully updating by tomorrow..unfortunately I'm working all day so I'll see what I can do! until then let me know what you think. thanks!

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	3. Ten Years Later

10 Years Later

* * *

Ten years had passed since that tragic day. Ten years of rebuilding and ten years of healing. The Kingdom was at peace again, but things had changed. The common folk now had a hard time trusting the King. They would follow his commands, but they lived each day in suspicion in fear.

King Inutaishou was now growing older. He knew as each day passed, he was less qualified to run his Kingdom. They needed someone new to lead them, someone they could trust from the moment they took the throne.

He knew it was time.

He stared out the window from his throne, and observed the scene below of two horses racing through the palace fields. He knew what he had to do.

* * *

"Inuyasha you scoundral, get back here!" Miroku yelled as he raced his horse through the field. It was a muggy summer morning and all was still quiet except for the sound of the birds singing and the galloping of horses.

"Why don't you just admit defeat? You know I win during everything else, what's so different now?" Miroku had caught up and was now right next to his brother Inuyasha.

"Not on your life Miroku!" Inuyasha had yelled to his brother and rode faster.

The gate was right ahead and Inuyasha was in the lead.

"Come on, come on, ha, I win again!" Inuyasha yelled as he made it through the gate first.

"Again? don't you mean for the first time?" Miroku said as he jumped off his horse.

It had been ten years to the day since the massacre. Inuyasha was now sixteen with his seventeeth birthday approaching, and Miroku was already seventeen years of age.

"You're losing it Miroku. Looks like you've got a visitor...again." Inuyasha pointed over in the other direction.

Miroku looked over to the fence to see a young woman from the village glancing at him as she slowly made her way by. She was carrying a large basket filled with crops she had just harvested, and she seemed to be struggling with them.

"Why fair maiden, that looks heavy, let me help you with that!" Miroku yelled over to the girl.

"There you go again Miroku, why don't you just ask one of them to marry ya already?" Inuyasha said.

"Inuyasha I'll surely have my way with a commoner if shes beautiful enough, but you know that I could never bring myself to love one, they simply are not sophistcated enough for my taste."

"Then why the hell are ya flirtin with them? I swear Miroku sometimes..."

"Well just because I don't see her to be a woman I would marry, I'm still a man, and I do have my needs at the moment." Miroku said.

"You bastard, If you keep foolin around with all the women in the area, royal or not, word's gonna go around and it's gonna come back to bite you in the ass." But Miroku clearly wasnt listening as he made his way over to the villager.

"My dear, what is such a lovely woman like you doing wandering around?" He leaned closely to her.

"Well I was just on my way back from gathering these crops because my father told me they were best harvested in the morning. I've heard other things as well are best done in the morning." She said playfully.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Word is you are looking for a good time, and I think I can help you with that." She traced her fingers down the neckline of his shirt.

Miroku glanced back at Inuyasha with a familar look that said "Cover for me?" and Inuyasha rolled his eyes again and nodded.

"Yeah yeah, whatever but like I said, dont come cryin to me when this comes back to you.' He yelled but at that point they had already made their way over to the stable and locked themselves inside.

Growing up, Inuyasha had observed that Miroku had an affinity for women. He toyed with the commoners and tried to win over the noble, but no matter what happened in the end, he knew his brother wanted one thing. At this rate he would never settle down and find a wife.

Inuyasha on the other hand, did not want to waste his time worrying about women. He kept to himself mostly. Sure he would spend time with his brother, but other than that he liked to be alone.

_Women are just a waste of time. They make you weak and act as if you are a fool. You end up giving them everything, just to turn around and betray you..._

He thought back to_ her_, the only woman he had ever loved before.

_Kikyo._

He stared out into the field where the sun beamed down, bathing the land in warmth. The tall grass had a golden hue to it and the air had a very specific scent of to it. He began to reminisce.

He thought back to how the warm summer sunlight shone on her glossy black hair as they laid in the fields. He would run his fingers through her warm strands that were heated from the sun. It would get so hot that it would be unbearable to breath, but lying close together on the cool ground, they would be comfortable. The aroma of wildflowers mixed with the lingering scent of the previous rainfall permeated in the air.

They would meet later that during the night in many different spots. In the woods, down in the garden, even the at the lake. He would pull her near and embrace her. She would rest her head on his chest and as he placed his head on top of hers. The sweet aroma of wildflowers and rain would still linger in her hair.

They spent a whole summer together, and with each day their love grew, until..

The memory stung him for a moment. He tried not to think of her anymore, he tried to get her out of his mind.

_We were young anyways, it's not like I was thinking we would be married or anything..._

But no matter how hard he tried to push the thought of her away, it was summer, and the inevitable scent of wildflowers and rain would always be there.

"Keh, just a waste of time." He said under his breath as he looked up to see the stable door open.

A disheveled looking Miroku exited the stable, accompanyed by the woman from the village. He walked her over to the fence and pulled her in for one more kiss. His hands started wandering again but the woman pulled away and laughed. She picked up the basket she was carrying earlier, and walked away, sneaking a coy glance back at Miroku.

Suddenly it seemed as if she had no problem carrying the basket. Inuyasha began to think it was all an act.

"Well well, she wasn't kidding about some things being best early in the morning." Inuyasha looked at Miroku mostly with disgust, but with humor as well.

"God Miroku you couldn't even take her to your room?"

"Like I said, She's a commoner. It's not like I was trying to impress her and make her my wife." Miroku said.

"You're and idiot Miroku, seriously."

"Miroku, Inuyasha." The two boys heard their father's voice project over the courtyard to where they were.

* * *

"Boys, as you know, you are both my sons and I have always treated both of you equally. And seeing as that you are practically the same age, you both are in line for the throne."

Both boys stood in front of their father, wondering where he was going with this.

"Father you are retiring from the throne already?" Miroku asked.

The King laughed. "Son, I was ready ten years ago, but now that you both are of age, I feel as if it is time."

"So then who is going to become King?" Miroku again asked.

"That leads me to why I have brought you both here at this moment." The King replied.

"To keep things fair, you both shall compete for the throne."

"Compete? Like as in fencing?" Inuyasha said.

"Or a race across the countryside?" Miroku added.

"No, no, nothing like that. You each will be assigned to one woman. The task at hand is to and convince her to marry you."

The young men looked at each other with a mix of confusion and amusement, as if it were some kind of joke.

"Not that I'm questioning you or anything, but what the hell is this going to accomplish?" Inuyasha asked his father.

"Well you see, each woman picked is designed to bring out the worst in you. The one who learns to overcome their flaws in order to live together in unison with their partner will be the one who can truly rule the kingdom."

"I don't get what's so difficult about the situation? All you do is convince the wench to marry you. This should be easy." Inuyasha said.

The King laughed again. "Inuyasha, the task may seem easy, but it will be a challenge. I can assure you that."

"Keh, whatever." Inuyasha still wasnt convinced.

"Miroku. You seem to have forgotten that you yourself were once a commoner. I don't treat you as one nor do you act like one, therefore you want nothing but the best when it comes to most things in life, including women." The King said to Miroku.

"This is why I shall be choosing you a commoner as your wife."

"What? That is absurd. A commoner would not know the way we live, she could surely not appreciate things the same way we do." Miroku could tell he was not going to like this competition. It would be just shameful to announce he was planning to marry a commoner.

Inuyasha started laughing. "Well looks like I'm going to be King after all." He said confidently.

As for you Inuyasha, you can be stubborn and at times rude. It is almost impossible for you to get along with someone who has a different opinion than you. That being said, I have a particular young lady in mind. She is the daughter of a dear friend of mine and has agreed to meet you."

"See the wench is already eager to meet me." Inuyasha whispered to Miroku.

"Oh, and it looks like she has already arrived." The King smiled and gestured for the guards to open the door.

As the doors opened, two servants walked in. They entered the door and stood off to each side followed by a petite figure approaching.

"Inuyasha, I would like you to meet Princess Kagome Higurashi."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the late update, I'll try to get the next one up asap!

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	4. Starting Off On the Wrong Foot

Starting Off On the Wrong Foot

The girl walked languidly into the room and approached her hosts and stopped, leaving just enough space to keep a formal distance.

King Inutaishou's voice carried throughout out the hall "My dear princess, it is an honor to have you visit our kingdom. Why you are just as beautiful as I remembered, exaclty like your mother." The King looked at the young woman standing infront of him as if she were one of his own children.

"Thank you, it is very much an honor to be here." The princess exclaimed. Her posture was impeccable and she carried herself with the upmost grace. Inuyasha knew it was normal for someone of noble stature to present themself in such a way, but she did it all to well. This bothered it. He already wanted to figure out what her flaw was.

"I am terribly sorry to hear about your father, he was such a dear friend of mine. How are you and your mother?" His father continued.

She let out a weak smile and responded. "We are getting through it, but times have been tough. Running our kingdom has not been the same. We are a small kingdom as it is, and now that my father is no longer ruling, the people have become quite restless."

Inuyasha was catching on now. He knew his father found it a good idea to try to unite the two kingdoms together. As always, his father was always thinking one step ahead, constantly aware of what was happening.

"Princess, I would like you to meet my two sons, Inuyasha and Miroku." The King gestured towards Inuyasha and Miroku standing off towards the side.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." She relplied cheerfully. Miroku swiftly made his way over before Inuyasha could even open his mouth to say anything.

"The pleasure is all mine your highness. How fortunate we are to have such a beautiful noble as yourself grace our kingdom." Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he should have seen this coming.

He stared at the girl for quiet some time as Miroku made aquintance with her. The closer he looked the more uneasy he felt. A familiar feeling was sinking in and he reacted before he could have time to let his logic judge his actions."

"Kikyo?"

The princess, who was smiling at Miroku, looked up towards Inuyasha. He saw her smile fade into an expression of confusion.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Kikyo? Is this a joke? You're telling me _this_ is the princess?" He started to raise his voice.

"Excuse, but I am not, nor ever have been this Kikyo you speak of." The princess spoke back.

"Yeah ,ok...cut the act Kikyo." Inuyasha was starting to get annoyed, this girl was Kikyo he was sure.

This princess was starting to lose her composure and let frusteration sink in.

"Listen, I don't know who this Kikyo you speak of is, but I can garuntee you I'm not her!"

"I'm sure.."

"That is enough you two." The king said camly. Inuyasha and Kagome both jumped at the King's words having completely forgotten there were people around them.

"My dearset apologies your highness." The princess was red from embarrashment.

"No, it's quiet all right, I know my son can be quiet stubborn, isn't that right Inuyasha?" Inuyasha huffed and looked to the side. He already knew this girl, who claimed she wasn't Kikyo, was going to get on his last nerve.

But he couldn't help but look back over at her.

He got a strange feeling as his eyes laid on her again. The more he observed, the more he realized she was not Kikyo, but the resemblence was extremly close. Everything about her from her eyes, to her long raven hair, even her facial expression.

It was all so close to Kikyo's.

He felt a mix of feelings rushing at him all at once. Pain, anger, frusteration, and the more he looked at her, the more he felt he couldn't escape. He wanted her to walk out, to leave and never return.

But at the same time, he didn't want her to leave.

There was something intoxicating about her, and even the raging emotions she brought with just one look. It was like he was feeding off the torture.

"Inuyasha my son, the princess will be joining us for awhile so I figured it may be fitting you showed her around and got her better aquainted with the Kingdom." His father spoke.

Well whatever he wanted, he had no choice now.

Miroku looked up with dissapointment as he came to reality with the fact that Princess Kagome was not his woman to court. Inuyasha on the other hand, was less than thrilled. He was already annoyed as it was for he knew he had to get this woman to like him, but now he had to play babysitter?

"Now, there is no time to waste, you two enjoy this wonderful day."

"Keh." Inuyasha had nothing to say as they made their way out of the room.

* * *

By the time they made it outside, it had been later in the day. The midafternoon sun cast a golden glow on the gardens as the princess made her way with this new stranger. After their small tiff not that long ago, she had no idea what to say. They had already started off on a wrong foot and it was clear he was not interested in getting to know her, but she knew she was going to be here for a while and she had to make the most of it. Even as akward as it was.

"Your kingdom is lovely." She tried to think of a conversation starter.

"Eh, it's not bad." Inuyasha simply stated as he continued to walk ahead of her.

"What do you mean? I haven't seen a place this beautiful in a very long time." It was true though, the land was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Around every corner was a garden or work of art, and it was all kept so clean and presentable.

She noticed he did not like to make eye contact, in fact, he hadnt even looked her way since they were inside the palace. Kagome let our a sigh, she had a feeling that even if she tried, she was going to have trouble communicating with the Prince.

But what caught her eyes next was fascinating.

As they approached the edge of the garden and turned the corner, she had seen the most breathtaking scene before her.

There, a simple field full of flowers, went on for miles.

Inuyasha must have noticed her reaction. "It's just a field." His words were hesitant, as if he didn't truly mean them.

"I've never seen a place so calm and perfect."

"Apparently you haven't seen much before." Kagome ignored his comment as she made her way into the field.

She was knee-high in grass when he fell to the warm ground and tilted her face slightly towards the sun. She closed and felt its warmth embrace her. For a moment, nothing mattered. The sound of birds singing and the soft roaring of a distant stream rang in her ears her while the sweet scent of wildflowers filled the air.

Slowly, she began to forget where she even was, that is until she was interupted by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Are you almost done?" Inuyasha approached in a disgruntled manner.

"She opened one eye and with out even looking at the prince she replied. "Excuse me?"

"I said, are ya almost done already? You just gonna sit here all day?" He was getting even more annoyed, she could tell, but she also could care less. Still, she took a deep breath realizing she had to try to get along with him...even if it _killed_ her.

"Fine." As he stood up she was taken aback by him. It was the closest she had been to him before. She examined his features, his silver hair, light amber eyes and austere expression as he looked out farther into the field.

"So, if you don't mind me asking something..." She asked calmly.

"Yeah? What is it?" His attention moved from whatever he had been looking at to her now. Once his eyes met hers she was caught off guard once again and had forgotten what is was she was about to say.

"So earlier, you kept mistaking me for someone else, this Kikyo. Who was she?"

She waited for him to answer but at first he said nothing. His expression had gone from calm to cross in a matter of seconds. She knew at that moment what she asked was a mistake.

"It's, nothing." He said bitterly. She could tell he was lying through his teeth.

"But why? I want to know why you thought I was here? Was she a woman you loved?"

"Enough, I said it was nothing. Do you really have to pry into peoples lives?"

"Prying? I was merly asking something that actually was related to myself, if you don't remember the mix up earlier this afternoon! "Kikyo! Kikyo!" I'm _not_ Kikyo though, but I was just wondering who was, you don't have to get so upset."

"All you've been is a pain in my ass, I said it's nothing so it's nothing! I didn't ask for this.."He mumbled the last part under his breath

"Ask for what, huh?" She was on edge now.

"I didn't ask to deal with you or for you to be here!" He yelled, causing her to stop in silence for a moment.

"Fine! If that's how you really feel then I'll leave!" She felt the blood boiling inside her body. She had never dealt with someone so infuriating before.

"FINE." She heard in the distance as she walked away.

* * *

Inuyasha stood in the middle of the vast field as he watched Kagome storm off. He was paralyzed for a moment, still trying to wrap his head around what exacltly had just happened, what it was that made him so angry.

Sure, he knew it was due to the fact that she had brought up Kikyo, but that element of her absence was always there haunting him, not just now. Was it different, more painful now hearing her name being spoken by someone else?

Or was it due to the fact that this girl, Kagome who just walked into his life within a matter of hours, greatly resembled the one woman he ever loved?

He thought back to just a few moments ago, when she was sitting there in the field. He knew as he approached her it was going to result in disaster.

And disaster it was, but a beautiful one at that.

He observed how her hair shone in the light, the way the sun hit her porcelan skin, just like Kikyo's. It made him sick to his stomach and tore at everything he was. But again, that same intoxicating feeling he felt before sunk in. He knew it was going to be hard being around her, but he had a feeling it was too early to give up just yet.

So he followed her back.


	5. A Sister's Love

A Sister's Love

The sunrise strained through the dirty window of the small shop located close to the center of the village. It was a quaint store, one that dealt with the repairing of weapons, a place were you wouldn't expect a seventeen year old girl to be working.

But in fact, there was a seventeen year old girl working in this very shop.

Sango rose early, like she did every morning to take care of her late father's shop. It was a family business passed down to every son, but seeing as that her younger brother Kohaku was still too young to run the store, it was in her hands.

Until Sango was of age, the shop was run under the supervision of the Sango and Kohaku's caretaker Kaede.

Kaede was an elderly woman, skilled in the art of healing. She had been like a parent to the children for they had lost both of their own, but Sango knew she was at an age where she should be resting, not straining herself everyday. She had appeared to be awake as well, preparing a small meal made from scraps found around the house. They were almost down to nothing.

Sango sat next to the window wondering how business would be today, that is if there was any. She looked over at the small fireplace to see her brother shivering. Even though it was summer, the nights and mornings had been unusually cold. It killed her to see her younger brother struggling like this. He always acted as if it didn't bother him, but she knew inside he had a hard time dealing with all this.

"Kaede, I'm heading out tonight, there is something I need to take care of." Sango asserted. She hoped Kaede would not question her, but had a feeling she was going to anyways.

"Sango my child, what are you going to do?"

Sango was hesitant, but if she knew anything, it was that she could get nothing past Lady Kaede. "I'm going to the far side of town tonight, I plan on being home by the morning, hopefully with a hot meal for you and Kohaku."

"My dear, You don't plan on whoring yourself do you?" She had put it so bluntly, Sango cringed slightly.

"My brother hasn't eaten in two days and business is slow, I can't go on letting us live like this, we'll soon be dead."

"But what about yourself child? Sango, you too haven't eaten in days and you have gotten no sleep lately."

"He's all I have left." Suddenly a small cat jumped up onto her lap and stared up at her

"We'll I have you as well Kirara, as well as you Lady Kaede, but..."

"I know child. Who knows how much longer I may be able to go on, but I know I will try my hardest to stay around for you children." Sango sat there in silence. She did not like to talk about how much time Kaede had left, it pained her to think of losing another person in her life.

"I have no choice."

"Please do not do this, you are far too young, what would your father say?"

Kaede's last words stung. "I'm seventeen now, I have to do what is necessary."

"But my dear girl, you're still pure, are you not?"

Sango sat there in silence watching her brother breathe in and out as he slept huddled by the weak fire.

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

* * *

Sango walked down the dimly lit path as she walked towards her destination. She passed a house where inside a family was having their supper. The house looked warm and inviting. Everyone seemed happy, if anything content.

If only she could provide her brother a home like that. After having their mother die from illness shortly after having Kohaku and their father being murdered defending Kohaku and herself in the massacre, they had been on their own, fighting.

Some days were better than others, days where they had full meals and bussiness ran at a steady pace, but some days were worse and those days would turn into weeks where they ran by little food. They could fight through, but this was not the way she wanted him to live.

As she approached the tavern, she felt her body begin to shake slightly.

The truth was, she really had never even been close to a man before. When young men her age would come by the shop to get their weapons repaired or pick up for their fathers, she would become shamefully shy, barely making eye contact. A few of them had even tried to start up side conversation, but she never knew what to do or say, so she simply handed them their weapon and bid them farewell.

But this was different than those short lived encounters day by day. A lot different. The closer she got, the more her body shook, she couldn't stop it. Suddenly she hear a faint cry from behind her.

She turned to see a small figure emerge from the darkness. "Kirara! you can't be here go back home, ok?" But the small cat just tugged on the bottom of her skirt and cried at her. Even her cat knew something was wrong. "Please head back and watch over Kohaku."

_Maybe this isn't a good idea_. She thought standing in front of the tavern.

Was she really debating this? She couldn't, she remembered Kohaku. There was no going back now.

She inhaled and stepped into the dim tavern. Rumor had been that women came here for business, so to say, and men seeking company would compensate them. It was a horrible deed she thought and almost laughed at the thought that this is what she was resorting to, but her trying to make light of the situation did not help what she was feeling at the moment.

She was terrified.

She saw mostly men in the room. Many were older with the occasional young male who looked around her age. She looked and noticed a man and a woman talking in hushed tones in the corner towards the back of the room. She knew it was none of her business to try to listen in but as she examined the two, she noticed them get closer. His hand began to travel up the side of her thigh as she gave a playful smile.

"Why, good evening." The words that were spoken behind her had startled her, for she had forgotten she could even be seen in this place. Sango turned around to find it was her being spoken to, by a man.

He had been no older than two or three years passed her own age, and was actually a handsome man with dark blonde hair and deep green eyes, but his rough apperance had made him look tired and aged. She could tell he was lost in life, someone who spent most of their time compensating his losses with booze and women. She felt somewhat sympathetic for the man though. She figured he must have lost a lot if he was living his life like this.

"I don't think I've seen one of your kind around here that has been as beautiful as you, that is, if you are like on of_ them_. He said looking in the direction of the woman Sango was examining before, now practically sitting on top of the man she was with.

She nodded, to think at that moment she was labeling herself as a common whore. She felt his hands grasp her shoulders from behind as he leaned in close to her. She felt him brush his face against her neck, breathing her scent in. he brought his face from her neck to her ear. She felt him slip a bag of coins into her hand.

"Are you ready?"

Again, without saying one word, Sango nodded and followed the man to the back of the tavern. They made their way down a dark narrow hall and into a room in the very back.

She was the last one to enter the room and shut the door hesitantly. She leaned against it paralyzed. She watched his eyes on her, slowly from her face, all the way down her body and back up again. He walked over to her pressing his body close to hers. She could feel her breath against her face, the smell of mead on his breath drowning her.

"You truly are beautiful. It's a shame you're a whore or you would make a wonderful wife." His face was no inches away from hers his lips moving closer, right before they touched hers she moved her head to the side. He kept trying to bring his lips to hers but she would not allow them to make contact with her own.

The man was starting to get annoyed.

"Don't mess around wench, are we doing this or not?" She could tell he had grown angery and shook her head in confirmation.

"You're not much of a talker are you?" He laughed deviously and proceeded "Ok fine, I guess i'll just get right to it then."

He placed his lips on her neck and started nipping while his hands roamed up and down her body.

She felt her body fidget in anxiety at every touch. "Will you stay still?" She felt his arm slip around her waist and hoisted her off the ground. He pushed her down onto the bed and hovered over her for a second.

He started to untie her blouse and eagerly remove it. She couldn't even bare to look him in the eye as he stared at her. She kept her head to the side for what felt like years. She felt filthy. She waited in anticipation for what he was going to do felt the shock of his cold calloused hands press down on her exposed skin. She couldn't bare it. Slowly, yet furiously, he managed to work his way down to the bottom of her skirt.

She felt his hands move higher up her thigh and with a sudden jolt of pain he violently felt inside her. The tears formed in her she arched her back in pain.

"What? too rough? I'm sorry, I just can't help it, you're driving me insane." She was frightened at the look he was giving her.

"I..I cant Im sorry..she choked out." Tears now falling down her face.

She jerked up and got off of the bed. Sango grabbed her blouse trying to conceal herself, but instantly he ripped it out of her hands and threw it to the ground.

"You can't mean that now? We were just getting started." He pushed her against the wall and threw her arms over her head, bringing his mouth violently to her collar bone.

Her head was spinning, this didn't feel right, she had to get out of there right away.

"Stop!" She managed to break free of his embrace and run grab her blouse again, this time putting it on instatnly.

"I feel sick and must go."

She tried to run for the door, but as she started to open it, he shut it.

"Where is the money?"

"I..I..." She couldn't get any words out, let alone think. _Money, money? where did I put it?_ she tried to remember but out her anxiety couldnt make her think. She felt light headed as she tried to make her way to the door, all she needed was fresh air.

But before she could even make it out the door she felt something forceful meet the side of her head. He had hit her.

"Give me my money back wench!" She felt his hands violently search through her clothes for the bag. Once he finally found the bag, he got up and stormed out of the room. "To hell with you whore!" He shouted before leaving. The only thing Sango could feel at the moment was mortification. Embarrassment that she brought herself here in the first place, and shame that she let her brother down. She was never this weak. She was a fighter, strong like her father had shown her to be, but in this moment, she was fragile, and she hated it.

Sango's head was spinning and she felt feeble, she knew she needed air, to get out of here. She struggled to get up and exited to room, holding onto the wall as she found a quick exit in the back.

Sango walked outside into the cold. Her sight was blurred and everything was becoming dark. _No..I have to stay awake._ She though, but she felt herself falling slowly and hit the ground.

"K..Kohaku.."She mumbled before falling into a state of unconsciousness.

* * *

The King often took walks through the village on nights such as these. He enjoyed to see the village at peace, it reminded him of the better times. He would sometimes walk the entire town, through every alley way and main road. He knew the village like the back of his hand, but no two visits were ever the same. There was always something new. This was especially the case when he turned a corner to find a peculiar site in front of him.

There, a young woman was lying on the ground clearly unconscious. she was bruised and bleeding slightly from the head

He instantly went over towards the girl to see if she was still alive.

The light from the tavern flickered across her pale lifeless skin. He lifted her into his arms to check for breathing. It was hard to tell, but he felt instant relief when a heard a pained moan. He picked the girl up and began to carry her back to the palace to have her wounds tended too.

She was truly a beautiful young woman, with a pure look, but she appeared frail, as if she hadn't eaten in days.

"Nothing we can not fix." The King said to the unconscious girl as he made his way through the village.

He had an very familiar feeling hit him. It was alomst ten years ago that he carried back a certain injured small child back to his palace, and then it hit him. He thought back to the certain young boy, now a young man with many things to learn.

"You see my dear, It was about 10 years ago I came to the aid of my now almost eighteen year old son. He was once like you, wounded and fighting for his life. Ten years later though, he seems to have forgotten all this, or at least, and with that he has become quiet arrogant. He needs to be humbled on, and that is where you can help me."

He knew this girl was exactly what Miroku needed.


	6. The Proposition

Sorry it's been so long...I had writer's block with this one for a long time booo, but it's back! enjoy

The Proposition

* * *

Sango began to wake up for the first time since the night before. The first thing she noticed as she came into consciousness was the pounding sensation her whole body felt, followed by the feeling of warmth. She tightned her grip on the sheets she had over her. They smelt fresh, almost like air by the ocean. The bed beneath her was comfortable, not at all what she had been used to. _Wait, this isn't my bed..._She thought as she jumped up and noticed that she was most definitely not in her own home.

"Where am I?" She whispered as she tried to wake up, wondering if she had still been dreaming.

"Meew." She looked down far at the end of the giant bed to see Kirara yawn and raise her head.

"Kirara, you're here as well? How did we get here?"

She looked up at the towering ceiling above her. There was so much space that she was not used to. The morning sun filtered through the white drapes that covered the large window, illuminating the white and golden room. She grabbed the bedding that surrounded her, made from the finest fabrics she had ever laid eyes on. The embrodary looked as if it had taken hundreds of years to perfect.

She slowly got out of the bed, noticing that she was in the same clothes from last night. She also observed that they had blood stains on them, remembering what had happened.

_I must have blacked out shortly after, S_he shuddered as she thought about the man at the tavern. _But how did I end up here afterwards?_

She walked over to the vanity against the wall. She noticed sitting on the table had been a brush. She had never seen anything like it before in her life. The top was made of pure gold, the design intricate with crystals embellished into it. She held it up and saw how it shone in the light. It was one of the most stunning pieces of work she had ever seen.

She also realized how much it was probably worth, most likely enough to feed her and her brother for an entire year.

She held the brush before her and stared at it. _If I'm not dreaming, I can just take this with me and escape without anyone noticing_. She contemplated, but eventually hesitated.

_I can't. If I'm going to get money, it's not going to be by stealing, father never would have approved. _She sighed as she placed the brush down, not knowing what to do next. She also thought of how she was supposed to return home before the sun even rose with a meal._ I need to get home to Kohaku._

She opened the large door and exited the room into a hallway.

"Wow, and I thought the room was elaborate." She said looking around. Kirara mewed at her feet in agreement.

She heard the light tapping of her footsteps against the smooth marble floor. Paintings lined up and down the hall while crystal chandeliers set a soft glow.

As she turned the corner, she noticed a new hallway, this one was open to the outside, columns of marble being the only part of the walls.

She looked outside noticing the view of the village down below. From up above, the town looked quaint and peaceful, but she knew that in all reality, it was a tough place to get by in. She figured she would most likely never have another chance to just take a minute to herself, so she continued to look down on the village for a moment, taking in the view.

"You must be the new servant. Slacking on the job already, huh?" Her moment had been interrupted as she jumped to find someone standing behind her.

"Excuse me? I think you are mistaken..." But she couldnt find the right words to say. Standing in front of her had been the most handsome man she had ever seen.

"Ah, I, Um I'm, I'm not..."

"It's ok, most people are nervous on their first day. I'm sure you'll catch on soon enough."

"No you don't und.." _Why can't I speak?_

"But, I'm sure I could think of a way to help calm you down." He said as he moved closer. She felt her self back up against a column.

"We could keep this to ourselves, forget all about it when it's over."

"Excuse me? What exactly would we be keeping to ourselves?" She had no idea what this man was talking about, and she was starting to become annoyed, yet slightly attracted.

"I mean, you're a little thin for me, not to mention your grooming skills aren't all that impressive..." Now she was just annoyed.

"I beg your pardon, but is this your way of making a good first impression?" But it seemed as if he was not even listening to her.

"..but seeing as that you're the only decent woman around at the moment..." She froze as she felt his hand lightly graze her lower back, his body close to hers. He was even more astonishing up close. She didn't realize at first how stunning his eyes had been, a strange yet beautiful deep shade of violet, his dark hair contrasting with them, but now that his face was just a few inches away from hers, all she could do was stare and become lost.

"...So I guess you'll do." But she snapped back into reality as she felt his hand grope her ass, but it was soon gone as her own hand flew across his face instinctively.

"You're absolutely appalling, I would never even think about touching you! In fact the mere thought of it is making me sick, so if you'll excuse me I'm going to find a way out of here so I never have to run into you again!"

But strangely, the thought of touching him, or even being close to him again like that sent shivers down her spine. _Snap out of it Sango, you have more important things to worry about. _She thought, turning down yet another hall.

* * *

"How do I get out of here?" Sango wondered as she continued walking throughout the palace. She felt as if she had been in some sort of maze, and at this point she would die before she found the exit.

"Well good morning." Sango was startled again by a strange voice, only this time it sounded of someone who had been older. She turned around to find that it had been the King himself.

"Oh! Your majesty, forgive me I am not intruding! I woke here and I don't remember why I am even here in the first place!" Sango rambled as she dropped to the ground, kneeling for the King.

The King laughed, "Calm down child, I know you are not an intruder, I am the one who brought you here."

"Really? If you don't mind me asking your highness, why exactly am I here?"

"I found you on the street last night, you were unconscious and looked like you had been beaten."

Sango grabbed her arm where she had been bruised. "Your majesty, it wasn't what it looked like, I'm not a wh.."

"I know this, so why was such a refined young woman like yourself doing in that part of town?"

"To be honest, I was desperate...you see my brother hasn't had anything to eat in days and I was only doing it for his sake, I hope you will not look down upon me." She bowed her head, feeling embarrased.

"Of course not, you risked everything just to help your family, If anything I have the upmost respect for you. That does not mean I condone what you have attempted to do, but I see that you only had the best of intentions."

Sango raised her head back up. She had not expected the King to be so kind.

"That is why I am willing to make a deal with you." The King continued.

"I am willing to pay you and your family handsomely, if you agree to help out around the palace."

"Oh your majesty, I could never ask for you to do such a thing."

"Please, I insist. We could use the help, and you would be earning it. You care for your brother, and this is the easiest and safest way to help him."

"So that's it? It seems too good to be true, there must be a catch...Oh I'm sorry your majesty, I don't mean to be skeptical it's just that.."

The King laughed to himself. His motives_ were_ a lot more complicated than that, but he knew this would help her out as well as Miroku.

"You are used to getting your hopes up and fighting for something while getting nothing in return, I understand. Do not be sorry, that is the life you are used to, it has made you wise. I can assure you though that my word is good, in fact, I will send down one of my gaurds now with some of your earnings to your home, that way you don't have to worry about your brother any longer. You shall stay here while you work, that room you spent the night in will now be yours."

"Bu.."

"And of course you are allowed to visit your brother."

Sango smiled. "Thank you so much your majesty, you don't know how much this means to me."

"No, believe me, it is you that is doing me the favor." He laughed.

"Father."

Sango turned around to see the same man she ran into before. "Father?" _Great, so this must be one of the princes, and I take it he's the one who has the reputation with women..._

"Oh Miroku, I'd like you to meet the new help I have just hired, this wonderful young woman here is Sango, she will be staying with us for awhile while she helps out."

"Oh so you _are_ a servant, and you I don't know if we should keep her, this one has a bit of an attitude."

"Excuse me!" Sango said back as the anger she previously felt came rushing back.

"See what I mean? She's no good."

"You're just mad because I didn't fall to your feet like all the other women have.." She muttered under her breath. She had a feeling he had heard her by the way he glared at her.

"Miroku, do not speak to her like that. You will show only the upmost respect towards her." Inutaishou's voice was now stern towards his son.

"Yes, it is going to be a pleasure working for you." She said as the King smiled. Miroku on the other hand, had picked up the sarcasim in her voice.

"Fine. She'll do.." Miroku said as he turned and walked furiously out of the room.

"Don't mind him, he can be a handful sometimes. He can never seem to take a moment to realize that under the royal status, he's no different than any other person living in this kingdom."

_Yeah, I can see that.._Sango thought as she watched the prince walk away.

"It's a shame too, because under the arrogance is one of the kindest men you'll ever met." The King said as he walked away as well.

"Huh..Oh yes, I bet.." Sango lied. Or maybe the King had been right. He_ had_ seemed like a good judge of character.

_Maybe, maybe he is a good person._

She heard footsteps approach and saw Prince Miroku turn the corner again. "I'm sorry.." Was he actually apologizing? _Wow, It looks like the King was right._

"I forgot _maid_, I need you to prepare my horse and have my clothes ready by an hour, I'm meeting up with the daughter of a Duke tonight and I take it I won't get back until late this night..perhaps even the morning, so don't wait up for me." He said with a smirk on his face. Sango stood there, mouth wide open in shock. _You've got to be kidding me?_

"Well don't just stand there, you're wasting time."

_Sorry your majesty, but you're wrong on this one._

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	7. A New Alliance

A New Alliance

Kagome turned her face towards the sky. How she loved this field. It was so warm, so comforting. As she descended her gaze down from above, she noticed a figure standing ahead of her.

As her vision began to come into focus, she noticed it had been Inuyasha.

The young Prince stood before her, smiling serenly. There was something different about him, the way he was looking at her. Up until this moment, she felt as if he had wanted nothing to do with her, but his reaction now as he wathced her moving towards him, was different. She felt relieved, yet at the same time nervous, but that hadn't stopped her from moving in close to him. Before she knew it she was inches away from him. His hand moved towards her face and her heart skipped a beat as he caressed her cheek. _Is this really happening?_

"Inuyasha, wha.." He continued to smile at her as he cut her off.

"I'm so happy you could make it, Kikyo."

For a moment she felt like she couldn't breath as his words pierced through her. "Wait, what?" She whispered. A drop of rain hit her face and she jumped slightly, for she was too preoccupied to notice the sun disappear through the dark clouds above her. She looked down at the ground as the rain started to pick up. _Why does he not know who I am?_

"I'm, I'm not Kikyo." She managed to stutter, but as she raised her head, Inuyasha was no longer standing before her, but instead was making his was across the field.

"I'm not Kikyo!" She yelled across the field. "Why does that matter? Don't you remember who I am?" But her cries were now useless, for the prince was no longer within sight.

Thoughts and emotions were now running through her head making her dizzy. She felt angry, desolate, jealous, but why? She had only known him for a day, so why had she felt such strong feelings, and more importantly, why would he have remembered her? The only feeling she was certain of was that of the cold rain against her skin, the wind causing her body to shake. She closed her eyes. All she wanted was to find the warmth again. All she wanted was the sun.

Kagome's body began to shake as another gust of wind came over her. She opened her eyes, only to find light.

_It was just a dream_. She realized with relief, finding herself not in the field, but laying in the large bed of the room she had been placed in during her visit. If it had not been real though she wondered, then why did she still feel off?

The fresh air drifted into the opened window. She inhaled the sweet aroma the breeze carried into the room and felt herself starting to drift back to sleep._ If only for a few more minutes,_ she thought, hoping to have a more pleasant dream than the previous.

"Mew." Kagome's eyes opened to see a small cat sitting merely inches away from her face.

"Oh, well good morning." She smiled at the feline as it tilted its head to the side, staring at the girl with curiosity.

"Mew!" she repeated.

"We'll aren't you adorable!" Kagome lifted her hand and brought it towards the cats head, slowly petting.

"So who do you belong to?" She asked, as the cat began to purr in happiness.

She had spoken too soon as a girl who looked around her age, perhaps slightly older, had entered the room frantically.

"Kirara! Kirara where are you?" The girl froze in place as she laid her eyes on her cat sitting on top of one of the kingdom's current guests of honor.

"Oh my lady, I'm terribly sorry, I did not realize someone had been staying in this room! Kirara come down from there!" She hurried over to retrieve her pet with a mixed look of horror and embarrasment on her face.

"Kirara I told you you can't just run off like that! My lady I really am so sorry, whatever punishment you find acceptable, I.."

Kagome began to laugh, but stopped as she noticed the girls expression to go form that of terror to sheer confusion.

"Sorry. Oh yes, your punishment. I order that...that you sit down, and relax for a few minutes."

The girl just stood there, staring in shock at Kagome. "Wait, I don't understand, you're not going to at least get angry with me?"

"It's just, this is the first room I've entered where I haven't been yelled at, I'm just a little shocked to be honset."

"Why is everyone yelling at you?"

"Well, you see, the King is holding an important conference if you hadn't already known, and all I know is there are a lot of important people here and it's my job to tend to their wives. Anyways, I've been running around all morning, checking in on them only to get yelled at by every single one. "This is all wrong", "I slept horribly last night." One of the younger women even yelled at me because apparently the mere sight of me disgusted her. I mean I wouldn't say I'm anything special but I certainly don't think I look hideous enough to actually disgust someone."

Kagome laughed. And yet again the girl appeared taken aback. "What? Am I wrong? Oh god, maybe I am that ugly."

"No stop it!" She continued to laugh. "It's not you! I know who you're talking about. You were at dinner last night right?"

"Yes I helped serve."

"That's what I thought. You see the Duke brought his son, Kuranosuke with him in order to start preparing him, as well as Reiko, the young woman you met today. She's the daughter of a baron and I'm guessing her and her family would like nothing more than to see her jump up in noble status, therefore she's ruthless and is only in it for the title. You see Reiko is supposed to marry Kuranosuke, or at least that is what his father wants, and so doesn't Reiko. But unlike most men of noble status, Kuranosuke's father is allowing him to choose, but he only has until his eighteenth birthday to do so, if not he and Reiko will be married."

"And?"

"And what I'm saying is, you were the girl who was causing quite a ruckus after dinner! I can't believe I didn't recognize you right away!"

"What are you talking about?" The girl was starting to look uneasy.

"Well last night at dinner, Kuranosuke couldn't stop staring at you!"

"That's not true." The girl rolled her eyes.

"Did you look at him at all last night?"

"Well no, I wasn't really paying attention."

"Exactly. He couldn't take his eyes off of you, and everyone, includ, _especially_ Reiko could tell! It's what everyone was talking about! You should have heard Kuranosuke's father yelling at him towards the end of the night, telling him how "No son of mine is going to go after a peasant girl!" and Reiko, well all she could do was sit there and pout because she didn't want to get upset and make Kuranosuke mad at her and risk messing up the potential betrothment!"

"What? No, are you sure it wasn't one of the other girls?" The girl said, trying to find a way out of this complicated situation.

"You were the only servant there who was a girl." Kagome raised an eyebrow at the girl, she knew she had no other defenses left.

"Well, even _if_ this were true, why would Reiko get angry with me, she comes from a good that's well off, that's why Kuranosuke's father will let him marry her, and she's beautiful it's not like she should view me as competition."

"Beautiful? Oh god no. Believe me that girl does a lot to make herself look like that. You on the other hand are naturally beautiful, and I'm sure she can't stand that."

"That's not true." She heard the girl mutter to herself, but before she could continue to fight back, she had forgotten to ask the girl who had caused such controversy in one night for her name.

"So, I think I should know the name of the girl who is going to cause quite a stir around this kingdom."

"It's Sango, and I'm really not trying to cause any kind of problem, I just am here to do what I have to."

"Well Sango, I think you'll be in for a surprise then because I have a feeling things aren't going to be that simple." Kagome teased, but this only seemed to unsettle Sango. "But you know, if things do get crazy, I'll help you." Kagome said, reassuring her.

"You're so nice to me, but why? You don't have to be." Sango said looking back up at her.

"Because to be completely honest, you are the first person I've met here who's real. I can't stand the pretentiousness of these nobles!"

"Tell me about it. Don't even get me started with some of the people I've met here, I know I'm a servant but they don't need to treat me the way they do! Especially that Miroku!" Kagome noticed that Sango seemed to be a little more flustered than she had been before after that statement.

"Well Sango, I'll tell you something about Miroku. My stay here has been short, but I can promise you that I am well aware of the way he acts, I have for a long time, you just need to give him some time."

Sango seemed baffled by her statement. "But haven't you only been here a night?" It was true she was only here a night, so why had she said that? She wasn't sure, but for some reason she knew what she was talking about, as if she had known him for awhile.

"What I mean is, I feel as if there is a sadness within him that he would never show, so he covers it with arrogance. There is more than meets the eye with that one, he is just teasing you."

"Right..." Sango replied as she stared out the window. A few moments went by as Sango continued to stare. Sango realized she had gotten carried away in her own thoughts as she broke the silence.

"So is there uh, anything I can get for you." She was quite now. Kagome could tell something was bothering her.

"Oh no, I'm all set I can take care of anything I need, but if you'd like to seem as if you're keeping busy you can join me for a walk, It's so nice out today, I couldn't possible stay in." She offered, thinking that a walk may do Sango some good.

Sango smiled slightly at the idea and followed Kagome out the door.

* * *

The two walked down the palace halls in silence for a while, but it wasn't akward, and there was no need to force conversation. It felt nice just having being in the presence of someone so real, someone who was like a friend.

Kagome embraced the quiet as she continued to walk, but only a couple of minutes had passed until the silence was gone.

"Oh,well Goodmorning Lady Kagome." Kagome noticed it was none other than Miroku himself. _This should be interesting._

"Goodmorning Miroku." She greeted the Prince warmly.

"Servant girl." He added looking at Sango. She looked up and opened her mouth to reply but was interupted.

"You did a terrible job with my clothing." He said smirking her way.

Kagome noticed that through the arrogance came playfulness that she knew instantly Sango was too naive to pick up on.

"I guess you can find a way to make it up to me though." He continued suggestively, as he moved in closer.

Kagome noticed Sango become tense. Sango was at a loss for words as the Prince got close, but soon enough she snapped out of it as she rolled her eyes and started to storm away.

"Lecher!" She yelled not looking back. Kagome swiftly moved to join her.

Sango was clearly flustered. "You see? That's not teasing, that's just arrogance! He thinks he can go around and mess with anyone he wants and it won't matter because _they_ don't matter!"

"He likes you." Kagome stated.

"What? No! that's not even possible!" Kagome smiled as she watched Sango's face turn the deepest shade of red and continue to storm off.

* * *

I know it's been a long time, but I will definitely have a new chapter up within the next few days.


End file.
